The 151st Annual Hunger Games
by Xylia Ren
Summary: Sequel to The 150th Annual Hunger Games. Twists and turns ensue as 28 tributes battle for supremacy. The stakes are high and emotions are walking a fine line. Only the strongest can survive. May the odds be ever in your favor.
1. Announcement

**Announcement**

President Pritchard stood in front of the cameras. There were still 5 months until the 151st Annual Hunger Games but there was a twist that was to be revealed that very night.

The red lights on the cameras turned on and President Pritchard turned on a mega-watt smile.

"Good evening citizens of Panem. In light of recent events we have decided to update the rules of our beloved Hunger Games. To remind Panem that _no _one is exempt from the Capitol's reign there will be more tributes this year than we have seen since the Second Quarter Quell. As of this moment, the people of the elusive District 13, and even the people from the beloved Capitol, must provide one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18, to the custody of the Hunger Games, four mentors will be selected from the living mentors to assist the tributes from District 13 and the Capitol." President Pritchard smiled at the cameras one final time as throughout the entire country of Panem, people were totally silent. The usually happy-go-lucky citizens of the Capitol put down their bottles of champagne. The tunnels and caverns of District 13 were filled with the sounds of parents with children of reaping age whispering to each other, worried for their children. The Victor's Villages in each District were stony as each Victor wondered if they would be the one to be selected to help the new additions.

Kaitlin Ollivier, the Head Gamemaker just smiled, knowing that this would be the best Hunger Games yet. She picked up her stylus and began sketching ideas for mutts and landscapes, tailored specifically for the newest victims.

* * *

_**Welcome to my second Hunger Games story. If you haven't read **_**The 150th Annual Hunger Games_ written by moi then I highly suggest that you do. I can't wait to get started but remember that patience is key. I am going to be taking so long to update because of school and the fact that my computer is messed up beyond belief._**

**_I hope you guys enjoy my story. Now let's begin!_**


	2. Birds Fly Free

**Birds Fly Free**

**Capitol Reaping**

* * *

**C: Skylark Frost**

I slid out of the warm bed and took the money off the table next to my clothes. I pulled on the lacy white shirt and hot pink shorts and put my pumps on. I crept out of the house without making a sound then raced to my house on the outer edge of the Capitol.

It was before sunrise even and I opened the door and tip-toed into my room. I walked to my closet and tried to pick something to wear to the reaping. I finally settled on a white dress with black lace and a corset top.

I was sliding into the fabric of my dress when my door opened and my best friend Shay walked into my room.

"Want some help?" She asked as I struggled to lace up the corset and tighten it properly.

"Please." I sighed, Shay quickly did the corset up and tied it neatly. "Thanks."

"What are best friends for?" She said, then she started to giggle. Shay and I have been best friends since forever and she is the only person who really understands me. I started doing my hair makeup, which for most Capitol girls can take hours of trying on different shades and styles until they find the right one. Not for me. I leave my white blond hair in its natural, mess of curls and put on black eyeliner and pink lipstick.

"So, how was he?" Shay asked. I almost dropped my pumps.

"Horrible, it was sloppy and disgusting but he paid well." I groaned. Shay smiled knowingly but she doesn't understand it. I have had to take some unfortunate measures to keep my mother and I fed and women throughout the Capitol hate me for what I do.

"Shay, we should go soon, it's far to walk and you know how people can be." I said, breaking Shay out of her thoughts.

We walked to the President's mansion where the reaping was going to take place. Shay and I stood in line, waiting to be checked in.

"Sky?" Shay said quietly, I looked at her, "Do you think you dad could be the mentor for the Capitol this year?"

"I doubt it. I've been searching for him for years but my mother won't tell me who he is." I snapped. My father is a mystery to me, my mother says he was a Victor but she won't tell me who he is or anything about the relationship.

We joined all of the other Capitol girls and pushed our way to the 18 year-old section. I got a lot of glares and whispered remarks behind hands. They think that it doesn't hurt me.

"Welcome, welcome" A soft voice said from the stage in front of me, a small, golden woman stood at a microphone, waiting for quiet, "My name is Lyra Lightwood and I am your escort. I am pleased to announce that your mentors for this year will be Nyal Diamanté from District 1 and the newest Victor, Pippa Woode!" Nyal and Pippa walked out of the doors of the President's mansion, holding hands, smiling and waving at the crowd.

"As is custom there is a video to be shown before we can begin the actual selection of names." Lyra said softly and a video began playing. I had seen all of these scenes in previous Hunger Games I have watched.

"Well now we must select the names of the brave young man and woman who will be representing the Capitol in the 151st Annual Hunger Games." Lyra moved to the reaping ball with the glittering word _Girls_ emblazoned on it. She stuck her hand deep into the ball and pulled out a slip of paper. "Skylark Frost."

I froze, I should have expected it, nothing in my life has gone my way anyways and this is just the icing on the cake.

* * *

**C: Zarkos Nightrod**

"Zarkos honey, I've laid out some clothes for you to wear today. It's time to wake up." My mother called from my closet. I opened my eyes and sat up, blinking spastically. My mother was wearing another one of her ridiculous outfits, neon yellow leggings, blue jean shorts and a furry purple jacket.

I took one look at what she had selected for me and gagged. It was a red velvet suit with a cape and everything.

"Mom, I'm not wearing that, under any circumstances." I protested as she shoved the offending garments at me.

"Well what would you want to wear?" My mother said crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

I darted into my closet and grabbed a few items and stepped back out. I held out my choices; a violet shirt that compliments my purple hair and black slacks. She tsked and grabbed something else from my closet, a black, sparkly belt.

"Now that at least looks ok, it's just so drab honey, people will stare." My mother protested, I just shooed her out of my room so I could get dressed.

When I walked downstairs and entered the kitchen my mother and father were sitting at the table a plate of croissants from the bakery down the street were sitting on the table and my parents were both drinking coffee.

"Oh, don't you look handsome?" My father said, looking up from the small television set that was playing a rerun of the previous Hunger Games. I looked away quickly as Pippa Woode lashed at Arden O'Harrah with her whip.

"I think he looks a bit too plain, maybe some sparkly hair gel?" My mother offered, I shook my head vigorously.

"But honey, you look so plain, people expect more from me as a high-end stylist and you should reflect that." She objected. "How about a golden tattoo across your forehead?"

"Mother!" I cried, slightly shocked that she would suggest that. I grabbed one of the buttery pastries and headed out the door.

I arrived outside the President's mansion just in time to slip in before the escort came out.

"Welcome, welcome" The escort said from the stage, she was a small woman with golden blond hair, a golden dress and tanned skin. "My name is Lyra Lightwood and I am your escort. I am pleased to announce that your mentors for this year will be Nyal Diamanté from District 1 and the newest Victor, Pippa Woode!" Nyal and Pippa walked out of the doors of the President's mansion, holding hands, smiling and waving at the crowd.

"As is custom there is a video to be shown before we can begin the actual selection of names." Lyra said softly and a video began playing. Scenes played of previous Hunger Games, Pippa Woode herself, was shown on the big screen stabbing her knife into Barr Al'Thor of District 4. Then the video ended.

"Well now we must select the names of the brave young man and woman who will be representing the Capitol in the 151st Annual Hunger Games." Lyra moved to the reaping ball with the glittering word _Girls_ emblazoned on it. She stuck her hand into the ball and pulled out a piece of paper. "Skylark Frost."

The girl in question was without a doubt the most beautiful person I had ever seen. As she made her way up to the stage a small flock of mockingjays took flight from a tree in the mansions groomed front lawn.

"Any volunteers?" Lyra asked, many of the boys around me were drooling and I'm sure I was too. I honestly hoped for a moment that someone would volunteer to save this beautiful girl but no one did.

"Now for the boys." Lyra shuffled over to the boys reaping ball and plucked out a name. "Zarkos Nightrod." I almost smiled, I had been preparing for this for quite a while, I put a frightened and shocked look on my face and slowly walked up to the stage.

"Your tributes, Skylark Frost and Zarkos Nightrod!" Lyra cried and some of the crowd cheered, but mostly they were shocked that the President was going through with this.

* * *

_**Well that's it I'm afraid. I know I've taken so long to get this up but my computer is messed up and I have to tranfer everything after I write it. Plus school is still living h-e-double hockey sticks. **_

_**I am breaking everything up for this story. The Reapings will be the Capitol and District 1, the goodbyes; Districts 2 and 3, the train rides; Districts 4 and 5, prep for Chariot rides; Districts 6 and 7, Chariot rides will be a general POV, Training will vary between POV's, the private sessions will be in the Head Gamemaker's POV, the scores; Districts 8 and 9, interviews will be everyone, night before; Districts 10 and 11, and the final moments will be Districts 12 and 13.**_

_**If you have any suggestions, complaints, ideas, or anything else just leave them in your reviews. I hope you liked this chapter and I hope you enjoy the chapters to come.**_

_**Review please and thank you!**_

_**-xoxo Xylia**_


	3. Count Your Blessings

**Count Your Blessings**

**District 1 Reaping**

* * *

**D1: Whittier Lively**

"And… GO!" My grandmother shouted, I began running.

"Throw!" I threw a knife at the nearest target. Bulls eye. I kept running.

"Throw!" I threw another knife. Bulls eye. I kept running.

"Axe!" I tossed a light axe at the next target. Bulls eye. I kept running.

"Throw!" I chucked a knife and the target. I missed. I never miss. I stopped running.

"Well, that was terrible." My grandmother chided.

"I know. I'm sorry." I apologized, my grandmother smiled.

"Remember Whittier, we are—"

"Destined for greatness." I said, cutting her off.

"Now go! You need to change in time for the reaping!" My grandmother shouted. I smiled and raced upstairs to my room to change.

I slid a red flower clip into my blond hair and smoothed my white dress with the red embroidery. There was a knock on the front door and I ran to get it.

"Hey," Beacon said; his voice low and soothing. "Are you ready to go to the reaping?"

"Yeah, just let me get my shoes." I grabbed my white kitten heels and slid them on. Beacon smiled at me.

"You look nice, Whit." He said.

"Thanks, you look good too." I smirked, I wasn't kidding either, Beacon is 6 feet of gorgeousness and on top of that he's a pretty good guy. His family runs the fanciest restaurant in all of District 1 so they're pretty well off.

We reached the center of the District and almost immediately I was swept away to chat with the other 18 year-old girls and Beacon went to stand with some of his friends.

"Oh my god. Are you and Beacon, like, together?" Demanded Topaz, her full lips turning into a knowing smirk.

"No, you know I don't like him like that." I insisted. Total lie.

"Well I think he likes you." Supplied Rosa, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Whatever guys, I'm not one to be held down." I joked and walked away. Just to prove my point I walked over to a group of guys and started talking to them.

"Oh Braeden, you're so funny." I giggled, slapping one of the boy's arms lightly. Braeden smiled and winked at me. They are all so naïve.

The Peacekeepers came and told us all that we should sign in and I _somehow_ managed to end up standing next to Beacon in the line.

"Hey Whit, can I tell you something?" Beacon asked me.

"Sure, what is it?" I replied.

"Well—"

"Next!" Called a brisk voice and I looked in front of me. I was the next person in line.

"Hold that thought." I said to Beacon then held my hand out to the woman sitting at the table.

I waded through layers of silk and taffeta to get to the part of the 18 year-old girls section where it is closest to the boys.

"Ok, what?" I asked once Beacon met me.

"I kind of—"

"Welcome, District 1, to the reaping for the 151st Annual Hunger Games. We will watch the customary film then continue on with the selections." Georgia Bains said from the stage, interrupting Beacon. The escort was as pink as she was last year and her dress was pinker than ever before.

The video began playing and my attention was totally focused on the screen. I saw a flash of my grandmother standing over a tall, blond, District 12 boy with a bloody knife and pride swelled in my chest.

"Now, what were you saying?" I said turning to Beacon.

"Whit, I—"

"Now ladies and gentlemen, we begin the reaping of the girls first." Georgia said cutting off Beacon once again. She walked over to the glittering girls reaping ball and plucked out a name, "Topaz Blake."

The same girl who had been teasing me about Beacon earlier stepped forward and headed for the stage.

"I volunteer!" I shouted, my voice was joined by many others as I raced to the stage followed by a heard of other girls.

I reached the stage and quickly pulled myself up on it. I smiled triumphantly at the crowd of disappointed girls headed back to their age groups

"Now, what is your name, dear?" Georgia asked me and I smiled at the cameras.

"My name is Whittier Lively and I am proud to be representing this beautiful District in the Hunger Games." I was playing for likeability votes now. Georgia moved on to the boys but the adrenaline was coursing through my veins like liquid fire. I was ready to win this thing.

* * *

**D1: Luke Stone**

I walked with my best friend down to the Justice Building for the reaping.

"Who do you think is the most likely to volunteer this year?" Sky asked me, her normally cheerful voice was oddly quieted.

"Well Sparks Whittier's grand-daughter is 18 this year, she will definitely volunteer. For the boys; maybe Alec Garnet or Braeden Tempest." I replied, Whittier was definitely the best candidate out of the girls, rumor has it she has been training since she was able to walk and she knows eight different ways to kill a grown man with a piece of spaghetti.

Sky and I were standing in line, waiting to sign in, when someone bumped into me and knocked me to the ground.

"Watch where you're standing Stone." Spat Alec, his bulky frame looming over me. I rolled my eyes and stood up. After six years of teasing and bullying, it stops hurting.

"I'm so sorry, if I had realized you were coming I would have fallen at your feet anyways." I replied, struggling not to smirk. Alec looked smug and turned away to flirt with some poor, unsuspecting girl. Sky was literally shaking with suppressed laughter.

"The idiot doesn't even know what sarcasm is." She scoffed and I grinned.

"Next." Called a bored looking woman and I held my hand out to her so she could check me in.

"I'll meet you after the reaping." I promised Sky and she nodded.

I stood with all of the other 18 year-old boys and waited around for our escort to arrive. The buzz of excitement filled the still air and I shuddered. The thought of people my age and younger, dying just to appease a leader who doesn't care about us anyways sickens me. No one in my District thinks the same way though, for them it's all honor and glory.

"Welcome, District 1, to the reaping for the 151st Annual Hunger Games. We will watch the customary film then continue on with the selections." Georgia Bains said; her pink hair quivered in all of its puffy glory.

The video is the same every year, but they add footage of the latest games as well, so every year it gets slightly longer. My eyes were drawn away from the screen as Aira Vent from District 5 shot Royce, my friend from when we were children.

I scanned the crowd for my sisters; Amber and Ember, twins and polar opposites but inseparable. I found them; Amber was looking at her hands, avoiding the screen, and Ember was drinking in all of the violence.

I turned my attention to Georgia as the video ended and the reaping officially began.

"Topaz Blake!" Georgia called, the girl gasped and tripped forward a few steps. Then came the rush for the stage.

"I volunteer!" Came about 20 faceless voices, screaming like their life depends on it. Sadly it does but in the opposite way.

One of the girls stepped up onto the stage, the other girls groaned and returned to their spots in the crowd.

"Now, what is your name, dear?" Georgia asked the girl and I actually looked at her for the first time.

"My name is Whittier Lively and I am proud to be representing this beautiful District in the Hunger Games." Typical. A beautiful girl with so much potential, just throwing her life away.

"Now for the boys." Announced Georgia like this was supposed to be a surprise to us. She teetered over to the reaping ball and grabbed a slip of paper with the name of some poor kid, whose world will end for a minute before someone volunteers for them.

"Luke Stone." Georgia dictated clearly into the microphone. I smiled confidently and walked to the stage, obviously someone will volunteer, this is District 1 for goodness sake.

"Any volunteers?" Georgia asked. No one moved. My heart sunk, I didn't think my own District hated me enough to send me to my death. I kept the cocky look on my face even as I turned to face Whittier and shook her hand.

* * *

_**Ahhhh District 1... Such awesome tributes. Well I think so at least. Of course I have the problem of loving all of these tributes which makes it hard to decide who to kill in the bloodbath and so on.**_

_**Tell me what you think about these tributes. What you like, what you don't like, what really annoys you about them. Anything really.**_

_**If you have any ideas for alliances, relationships, enemies or just an idea for the arena or mutts. Feel free to tell me through PM or review. Also I generally try to kill tributes off based on popularity so I need to know who likes which tributes and who you want to see as the Victor.**_

_**Review please!**_

_**-xoxo Xylia**_


	4. Divided Under Pressure

**Divided Under Pressure**

**District 2 Goodbyes**

* * *

**D2: Blossom Vessera**

I sat in the very plush waiting room, wait for my family and friends to say goodbye to me. I still couldn't believe that I had been reaped and that no one had volunteered for me. But in some ways I'm glad, I can't wait to visit the Capitol and to experience everything.

"Blossom!" Cried my mother as she burst into the room. My family is an odd bunch; my father works as a tailor in District 2 and my mother is from District 1, she is always up to date on the latest fashion trends and is slightly crazy.

"Hi," I said timidly.

"I'm sure you can do it. You are beautiful so you won't have any problems with getting sponsors. Just make sure to stay with the Careers, they are the strongest group always and they would assure your win." My mother babbled on until I put a gentle hand on her arm.

"It's ok mother. I'll come home." I assured her.

"Blossom, I just want you to know that I love you." My father said in his deep, soft voice. I smiled.

"I know that Daddy."

"I have every faith that you will return to us." My father continued.

"I will Daddy." I said, tears forming in my eyes. I hugged my father fiercely then turned to my mother.

"I love you mom." I whispered, she smiled and wiped a tear from my cheek.

"You have such beautiful eyes." She said looking deep into them.

"All thanks to you. Good bye mom." I said hugging her quickly then the Peacekeepers entered the room and led my parents from the room. I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

"Oh, Blossom! It's just so terrible, I can't believe you are going into the games." Diamond said, walking into the room and hugging me.

"I know." I said morosely.

"I will be cheering you on every step of the way." My best friend said encouragingly.

"Thanks Diamond." I murmured then I hugged my best friend again.

"If I can convince my father to sponsor you, I will." Diamond smiled, her father is the head of the council of Peace for Panem, he makes a lot of money.

The Peacekeepers came to retrieve my best friend and I grabbed her hand, squeezing it quickly before she was pulled away.

"Bye Blossom." Diamond called over her shoulder.

"Bye." I said, almost in tears once again. The door opened again and my boyfriend entered the room.

"Ignus!" I cried, running to him.

"Hey Blossom." He chuckled.

"I don't want to leave you." I said, tears sliding down my cheeks.

"I know. I hate this. I hate that you are leaving me and going somewhere that I can't protect you." Ignus grumbled.

"I love you so much." I whispered, and I kissed him softly.

"Blossom, you are the love of my life. It's like, when you're around everything seems brighter but all I can see is you. I want to know that feeling forever. Blossom Vessera, will you marry me?" Ignus said, getting down on one knee. I gasped and covered my mouth. Ignus pulled out a black velvet box and opened it, inside was a ring; the band was made of titanium like all of District 2's engagement rings and set in the ring was a brilliant diamond.

"Yes. Yes! A thousand times yes!" I shouted jumping into his arms. He slid the ring onto my finger and kissed me. I heard the door open but didn't register it until I felt Ignus' arms leave my body and I opened my eyes.

"I love you so much Blossom!" Ignus shouted as Peacekeepers dragged him from the room.

I collapsed to the carpet and sobbed. I was engaged but I was heading to my death. Great.

* * *

**D2: Urban Franco**

I pushed my dark red hair of my eyes and sighed dramatically. I guessed I had about sixty seconds until I would have to face my brother. I was right. After a minute, Octavio stormed into the room.

"Why didn't you let me volunteer for you? You're as good as dead now. You could have let me go and had two more years to train." My brother exploded at me. I was startled, normally Octavio was calm and controlled.

"I can do this. I'm better than anyone at the academy." I retorted.

"You're not better than me." Octavio hissed at me.

"I am better than you, just you wait. I'm going to win this thing." I shouted at his back as he left the room, shaking his head. The door opened again and Octavio entered again.

"I forgot to give you this." He handed me a piece of paper, folded into quarters. "Good luck Urban."

The door opened and closed once again and I unfolded the paper. It was a picture of my family, before my mother left. My dad had me on his shoulders and Octavio was hugging my mother. I look a lot like her. Curly, dark red hair, blue eyes, the same fair skin, the same smile even. That's why he hates me so much.

My thoughts were interrupted when my friends Teresa and Cashe walked into the room. Teresa hugged me, her eyes were teary but fiercely grey as always. Cashe gave me a high five.

"You've got this Urban, you have trained twice as hard as anybody at the academy." Cashe cheered encouragingly. I smiled slightly and turned to Teresa.

"Don't worry guys. I'm not leaving forever. I will come home." I said gently as a single tear escaped and trailed down Teresa's cheek. I brushed it away and she blushed.

"Your time is up." Announced a silver-haired Peacekeeper. Teresa hugged me again and walked out of the room, her head held high.

"Come back." Cashe said simply then he hugged me. I patted his back and smiled as he walked out of the room.

I was left alone for a few minutes until another Peacekeeper came into my room.

"It's time to go to the train." He announced gruffly. I followed him out of the Justice Building and out to where Blossom, our escort and out mentors stood.

"Let's go." Earl Feece said, motioning for Blossom to climb onto the train first. Blossom's eyes were rimmed with red and the ghosts of tears were on her cheeks. Even though she's my District partner, I don't want to ally with her, she looks weak.

"Come on, Urban." Ryleigh said after Blossom was on the train. I climbed into the sleek, silver train, leaving District 2 behind. Maybe forever.

* * *

_**Just let it be known how absolutely ecstatic I am to have all of you guys here supporting me. Only three chapters have been posted, one of which I don't entirely count as a chapter, and I've got almost 30 reviews, 13 followers and 7 favorites. 107 visitors have been to this story in the month of October; 68 for Chapter 1, 68 for Chapter 2 and 45 for Chapter 3. This is starting off as my most popular story in the history of me. Thank you guys all so much. To the people who carried over from The 150th; I love you all so much, thanks for sticking with me :). To the newbies; I love that you've given me the chance and are reading this. **_

_**Well everybody, as always, review! Tell me what you think about Urban and Blossom; what you like or dislike, what you think needs to be improved, if you think they have great personality or if they are boring and Mary-Sue-ish. I'll try to fix it. Also if you have any questions I'll try my hardest to answer them or clear them up.**_

_**Alas I have no beta but I like to think that I do a pretty good job without one, however, if you find a mistake I will gladly fix it.**_

_**We ALL know you want to review this story, RIGHT? ;)**_

_**-xoxo, Xylia**_


	5. Even The Brilliant

**Even The Brilliant**

**District 3 Goodbyes**

* * *

**D3: Jemima Foster**

I was perched on the edge of a plush seat and waited until the huge, wooden door creaked open. Then my mother and father entered the room with my 16 year sister Kendall holding three year-old Lucy.

"Mama!" Lucy called leaning towards me her small toddler hands grasping the air. I took her in my arms and kissed her forehead. I love my daughter more than anything, I've been there for her through thick and thin and I'm not giving up now, just because I'm going into the Hunger Games.

"Oh Jem, just one more year and you would have been free." Kendall said, tears in her eyes. I turned to my sister and gave her a stern look.

"Kendall, please take care of my daughter while I'm gone." I said seriously. "Make sure she doesn't starve, and make sure she knows who I am. Make sure she knows that I love her and that I had no choice."

"I promise." Kendall whispered and she hugged me.

"Jemima. We're sorry for the way we acted about the whole, pregnancy thing." My mother said, looking at the wall above my head.

"It was inexcusable." My father added, also not looking directly at me.

"Well that's about 4 years too late." I said, struggling to stay calm.

"Jem—" My mother started but I cut her off angrily.

"You make him move! You were the ones who told his parents and suggested they leave town. You made it so Lucy will never know her father! I will never forgive you until my dying breath." I shouted, my parents both had the decency to look ashamed.

"I think we should go now. We are just providing stress, which is bad for a calm mind." My father said and he and my mother prepared to leave.

"No shit!" I shouted after their retreating backs. Thankfully Kendall stayed behind.

"I'll try to convince them, they'll come around. Lucy can help me, she is a very charming little toddler." Kendall said, patting my shoulder.

"I wish I could have more time with her." I whispered, tears finally forming and sliding down my cheeks.

"I'm sure you will see her again. You can win this. You are smart, you are resourceful, you have something to fight for." Kendall said, counting things off on her fingers.

"Kendall, we both know I have next-to-no chance of winning the Hunger Games. I will never get to see my daughter grow up. I'm never going to have to suffer through her teenaged years. I'm never going to get to help her get ready for her first date. I'm never going to see her get married." I trailed off, my throat closing tightly with emotions.

"Jemima Annemarie Foster. You had damn well better come home. I don't want to have to tell little Luc that no one knows where her father is and that her mother died at the age of 18 in the Hunger Games. I don't want to tell her that the reason her grandparents hate her is because her mother got pregnant at 14 and tried to elope only to find that the father of her unborn baby had left without a trace. You are coming home Jem. No question about it." Kendall shouted. I nodded, shocked.

"Your time is up." Commanded a gruff voice. Kendall hugged me quickly and waited while I said goodbye to Lucy.

"Lucy, mama's going away for a little while but I'll be back in just a few weeks. I promise. I love you so much." I whispered in my daughter's ear.

"I wuv you too, mama." Lucy said in her sweet, toddler voice and I started crying again. I handed Lucy to Kendall and watched as the most important thing in my life retreated somewhere I couldn't follow.

* * *

**D3: Rys Harris**

"Rys, please come home, then maybe they will let me take in both you and your sister." My aunt Grace said softly.

"I will try." I said gruffly. I'm not good with people. I can crack into any data base in under an hour but people are a puzzle to me.

"Well the best of luck to you." Aunt Grace said, squeezing my hand and pulling me in for a hug. I tried not to squirm.

"Ma'am, there are other people out here waiting to speak to the tribute. Your time it up." A peacekeeper said, opening the door. Then the next thing I knew, my sister was in my arms, sobbing onto my shoulder and shuddering uncontrollably.

"Rosa. Rosa. Rosaline!" I said, getting louder every time I tried to get her attention.

"What?" She asked morosely.

"Calm down." I said simply.

"But Rys, you're the only family I have left." Rosaline sniffled.

"What about Aunt Grace?" I asked.

"Don't leave me with her!" She cried and I laughed. Soon we had dissolved into fits of laughter. The same Peacekeeper as before entered the room and looked very confused.

"Um, there is one more visitor so finish this up." He said then he backed out of the room.

"Rosa, don't forget that I love you. I'll always be fighting for you." I said, hugging my sister. She buried her face in my chest and hugged me back.

"I love you too, big brother." Then she left the room. I sighed and readied myself for the next visitor. Mackenzie walked through the door and hugged me.

"Even the brilliant get reaped. And I promise I'll take care of your sister." She promised before I could say anything.

"Thanks Kenzie." I said to her.

"It's the least I could do. You've helped me so much over the years." Mackenzie said and I smiled a little bit, thinking about all the times I had helped her out of trouble.

"Mackenzie, there is something I need to tell you before I go." I said cautiously. She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything so I continued, "I like you. A lot. And I just wanted to tell you before I go into the arena. You have the right to know how much I care about you."

"Oh," She said.

"Oh?" I demanded, "I tell you that I like you and all you can say is 'Oh'?"

"Well I kind of guessed this already." Mackenzie said quietly. I almost choked.

"And you didn't say anything?" I asked.

"Well I kind of like you too." Mackenzie said, blushing. I stepped closer to her and looked into her warm brown eyes. I leaned towards her and kissed her soft lips.

"Goodbye Kenzie. I love you." I whispered just as the Peacekeeper took my best friend away.

* * *

_**Ok guys. I'm back to being ashamed again. I update a chapter and I get 5 new reviews? Really guys? I used to be so proud and I would get a warm fuzzy feeling when I read your reviews but now I just feel sad and lonely.**_

_**Remember guys, cool people review. Don't be uncool.**_

_**Please please please review! I'm practically begging you here. **_

_**-xoxo Xylia**_


	6. Fishing For Answers

**Fishing For Answers**

**District 4 Train Rides**

* * *

**D4: Umeko Satori**

I stepped onto the sleek, silver train and instantly my senses' were assaulted. The entire car was a deep blue; it smelled flowery and a little bit like bread. The carpet under my feet was thick enough that it reached my ankles, tickling it softly. I could hear chords being played over speakers but couldn't identify the tune. The air actually tasted like perfume from our escort, Liberty Finch.

Tucker pushed ahead of me and threw himself on a plush seat. I scowled at him. He shot me a cocky smile and patted his lap. I rolled my eyes and stalked over to a bar stool and snatched a pastry.

"So, Umeko, what can you do?" Kai Oceana, Tuckers mentor asked me. I curled my lip up defensively and glared at Kai. He held up his hands in the universal "Woah" sign and looked slightly intimidated.

"It's ok Umeko, you can trust Kai, once one of you dies, we will end up managing everything together. He needs to know too." Marisa, my mentor, said.

"Fine," I spat, "I'm fast and agile, I'm good with knives and darts and I know a lot about plants." I said, conveniently forgetting to mention my aptitude for poisons.

"Well that's good." Kai said, smiling at me. I narrowed my eyes at him and her turned to Tucker to ask him.

"Well, I've got good aim and I'm a great swimmer." Tucker said. I snorted, he wouldn't last more than five seconds if that's all he had going for him.

That's what I get for being stuck with a pathetic 15 year-old in the arena. If it had been Zane I wouldn't even need to worry about being stabbed in the back, he would always be there. But Zane was beaten out by Tucker in the race to be the volunteer picked to enter the death match. I would make sure that Tucker wouldn't make it out of the arena alive.

As long as I have some darts or a knife and some poison. No one stands a chance.

"Hey, Umeko?" A voice broke me out of my thoughts and I turned my scowl on high-beam. It's Tucker.

"What do you want?" I hissed at him.

"I just wanted to know if you want some of these crab cakes before they're all gone." He held out a plate of the mentioned food. I grabbed a crab cake and bit into it with ferocity.

"You guys, the recaps of the reapings will be on soon." Marisa warned us. I stood up and headed into the media room to watch the reapings. I needed to scope out the competition.

**D4: Tucker Rohansen**

The recaps of the reapings began after a few moments of awkward silence and some very badly told jokes on Kai's part and a comment by Marisa about fishing for answers.

The reapings begin with the Capitol; the girl was seriously beautiful but the boy looks weak and unassuming. The District 1 girl was a typical volunteer but the boy was reaped and no one volunteered for him. In District 2; the boy was reaped and he refused to let anyone volunteer for him, the girl volunteered but she looks like she is a stuck up rich kid. The District 3 tributes were both reaped, as predicted, the boy looks smart and capable but the girl looks like she was seconds away from bursting into tears, not a smart way to win over sponsors.

Then it was us, both Umeko and I volunteered and we both look quite vicious. The announcers were commenting on how strong we looked and how poised we were.

Then came District 5; the mayor's daughter was reaped and the boy looks slightly scared. The District 6 pair both look unimpressive, as always. District 7 has one volunteer, a girl named Santana Wolf, she is the daughter of the Victor of the 131st Hunger Games, Aaron Wolf, the boy is a typical, weak looking boy. The tributes from 8 are similarly boring, both were reaped, both looked scared, but the girl had scars on the inside of her wrists when her escort raised her arm, some fresh cuts too. The District 9 pair were automatically categorized as bloodbaths in my mind. The girl from District 10 is mute, the escort asked her to say something to her District but she couldn't, the boy was tall and muscular but not a big threat. The girl from District 11 looked familiar, she had a District 4 name as well, Storm Ocean Star, she looked like she was about 14, only a year younger than me, the boy was attractive, he had that going for him if he wanted sponsors but he didn't look like her could really do much. The two from District 12 weren't all that shocking, they were both reaped, they didn't look too strong but I knew that one should never under-estimate the power of District 12. The girl from District 13 looked slightly crazed as she dashed up onto the stage after volunteering, the boy was reaped and was obviously trying to appear strong.

"So, see anyone you like? The Careers need to make a comeback from last year." Marisa said, looking at me and Umeko expectantly.

"It was disgraceful." Muttered Kai.

"Well the District 1 tributes, the District 2 boy, maybe the girl." Umeko rattled off her list of possibilities.

"What about the Capitol girl? She would get a lot of sponsors and she doesn't seem like a total weakling. And maybe the District 3 boy? He looks smart and we will need the added intelligence." I offered. Umeko turned on me, her eyes flashing.

"You want to include untrained, pathetic losers? They will just weigh us down." Umeko said, her voice was deadly.

"Well you can't claim that they don't help. The past couple of years have been terrible for the Careers and none of the groups had any, so called, 'untrained, pathetic losers'." I retorted, standing my ground. Umeko lunged at me, Marisa grabbed Umeko as she flew past and Kai pinned me down.

"You two need to learn to get along. It will be a long painful couple of weeks if you don't." Marisa warned and she sent Umeko to her room to calm down.

* * *

_**That, my dear's, is a very general reaping recap. I am making a website for this Hunger Games with information on the tributes and anything else you guys want to know, so I would like some suggestions for things to put on it. :)**_

_**I'll have a link up on my profile soon :)  
**_

_**I'm almost at 50 reviews guys! Come on! You can do it! Just tell me what you thought about the tributes, please!  
**_

_**R&R Please :)  
**_

_**-xoxo Xylia  
**_


	7. Grand Scheme

**Grand Scheme**

**District 5 Train Rides**

* * *

**D5: Jean Delancy**

I pressed my forehead against the cold glass of the window, staring out at the setting sun. I could just imagine my family all gathered around the dinner table; mother would be crying, Zach would be acting like nothing was wrong, Xander would be moping about, Meda would be crying, probably on mother's lap, and father would be blaming himself for this.

I can't help but blame him too. If he didn't try to do so much to help our District I wouldn't be heading the same way as Ollie.

_Flashback_

_I looked down at the small, pale, uncharacteristically calm. When Ollie was alive he was so happy and cheerful. He was my best friend; we were only one year apart and he could always make me smile._

"_We was too young to die." Wailed my mother. I silently agreed. Ollie was only 12 when he was reaped. The girl who killed him continued to win the Games. She lives in the Victor's Village in a cushy home in District 2._

Ever since my brother died, my father had been watching himself. He hadn't been over-helping District 5 until lately.

There was an outbreak of plague in District 5 and my father had taken to stealing medicine for sick children. The Capitol must have found out. That's why I'm being punished. For my father's actions. It's not fair at all, but since when does the Capitol care about fairness? They didn't create the Hunger Games for nothing.

I was glad for one thing. I had been given the opportunity to avenge my brother. I was going to kill the District 2 mentor. She will never see it coming. I have been preparing this scheme for three years now, just in case I was reaped.

I grinned evilly then snapped back to reality.

"Jean, are you ok?" Thaddeus asked.

"Yeah I was just thinking." I said softly.

"I know, I heard about your brother. I'm so sorry that you have to go through the same thing." Thaddeus said, his eyes showed compassion but also a little bit of held back anger and hurt.

"Thaddeus, do you want to be allies?" I asked abruptly. Thaddeus looked startled then nodded.

"You can call me Thad." He said, smiling.

* * *

**D5: Thaddeus Hartwidge**

After Jean and I agreed to be allies I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. I had been slightly worried that I would be left to try and make allies who would eventually stab me in the back. At least I know that now Jean can't kill me without being shamed and hated on by District 5 and probably most of Panem.

I sighed and turned on the small radio in my room on the train. An announcer was in the middle of saying something.

"—the tributes this year seem like a good crop. No one seems like a horrible sob story. And no unexpected volunteers, unlike last year. Speak of last year, here is a clip of an interview we had with Pippa Woode from District 10.

'Pippa, what is the strangest thing about winning?'

'Probably the stares that people give me and the way that everyone expects me to melt down everytime they mention anything to do with the Games.'

"Now here is Pippa's newest single, _Never Forget._" The first strains of the song began playing and I closed my eyes.

_No matter how much I try,_

_I can't help but remember._

_It's impossible to not cry,_

_When I think of that ember;_

_That small spark inside,_

_That became something bigger;_

_I just want to run and hide,_

_From all the stares and sniggers._

_Of all the things I can never forget,_

_The worst is you._

I couldn't help but imagine how much emotional pain Pippa has to live with. She's only my age but she's killed a person and she fell in love with someone then watched them die.

I opened my eyes, there was sunlight streaming through the window and I could hear the clinking of dishes and utensils. I realized that today was the day we were going to arrive at the Capitol.

"Kyla said that we should be able to see it any minute now." Jean said, reading my mind.

Then, just over the horizon, a dark smudge became visible. It grew in size until I could see each individual colour in the stained glass windows.

Crowds gathered around the train tracks, the throngs of colourful people pushed forward cheering and waving at us. I smiled and waved back slightly, the people went wild. Jean was just sitting on a couch, her arms crossed and a distressed look on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. She glared at me and I put my hands into the air in defeat.

"Sorry, I just don't want to be here." She said.

"I don't either but why don't you just enjoy it?" I suggested.

"I can't." She insisted. "My brother's killer is here."

* * *

_**Hey guys! So I'm back again, sorry for the wait... I hope you enjoy this chapter, the next one will be an overview of the arena; the mutts, the climates, the twists and turns, etc.**_

_**I can't wait to hear from you guys! Review and tell me what you think!  
**_

_**Hey guys! Review it up!  
**_

_**-xoxo Xylia  
**_


	8. Hold On

**Hold On**

* * *

**Head Gamemaker's POV**

I pushed a few buttons and a full 3-D model of the arena shimmered into existence. Other Gamemakers buzzed around me, finishing up the final touches and test running the mutts release times.

The circular arena was made up of 10 rings that are separated by rivers. The water has been made undrinkable, anyone who does will suffer for a few hours before dying. The rings are made up of meadows, forests, fields and barren plains.

The meadows consist of bright flowers that cause rashes and severe itching, the grass grabs at the tributes ankles, the insects have infected bites which fester and ooze no matter how the tributes try to prevent it and the birds singing causes dizziness and nausea. However the flowers close at night, and the birds sleep, making it a good place to stay overnight.

The forests could be one of two depending on which ring the tributes are in. There is a tropical rainforest with vines that try to grab the tributes, trees with thick branches and delicious looking fruit, but the fruit is pure poison. The mutts are monkeys that spit poison and jaguars with unnaturally long claws. The monkeys are diurnal and the jaguars are nocturnal but the forest floor is safe.

There is a coniferous forest with easily climbed trees. The branches are host to tracker jacker nests, giant tree ants that are about the size of small house cats and pinecones that act like grenades. The tree sap is rich with nutrients and could keep a tribute running for 2 days if they had enough.

The fields are made of tall, grasses, all of which are edible and it is easy to hide in the grass. There are very poisonous snakes hiding in the grass and huge mice hiding in holes in the ground. The dirt below the grasses is very uneven and pock-marked, making it hard to walk safely through those rings.

The barren plains are ideal battle fields. Flat and smooth without anything to trip up the tributes. The only problem is that there is nowhere for them to hide. I plan on driving tributes there to fight to the finish on many occasions.

The cornucopia is by far my favorite out of any area in any arena in the history of the Hunger Games. It is on volcanic rock, most tributes won't be able to identify it as such, and there may or may not be active lava under it. Of course, if there was, then tributes would be all too easily killed off, not putting on a good show.

Every night, after the days casualties are shown in the sky, the outer-most ring of the arena will slowly sink into the ground then the force field will shrink to accommodate the new size. The cornucopia ring will never sink into the ground though, but the tributes would be hard pressed to survive for very long without being found by others on the small island.

I smiled proudly at my handiwork and went to address my new assistant.

"Moira, could you please have these papers delivered to the President immediately? Then return here." I told her. She nodded firmly and took the papers.

I sat at my chair and looked around the room at the other Gamemakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this year will surely be the best year for the Hunger Games ever. Because when we start a project like this, we are bound and determined to hold on, and impress Panem. I am certain that we have surpassed any expectations set for this year and even many years to come." I announced, my voice echoing around the room. I smiled when everyone burst into applause.

This would be the most eventful Hunger Games ever. Even better than the year that we brought back victors and got to watch Katniss Everdeen torn to pieces by killer monkeys while her loverboy watched. Even better than the 100th Hunger Games when we brought tributes from the previous Hunger Games back to life*. Even better than watching Pippa kill Barr Al'Thor last year.

Much more eventful than any of them.

* * *

_***Should I do the 100****th**** Hunger Games with that idea (not now but maybe later?)  
**_

_**This was the arena overview. I hope you liked it! I'm sorry about how latent I've been about updating. School's been really tough and writing these chapters is like slowly and painfully being tortured to death. (And people wonder why I love acting. Pfft!)  
**_

_**Tell me what you thought about the arena and it's mutts and so on.  
**_

_**Review! Please and thank you :)  
**_

_**-xoxo Xylia  
**_


	9. I Can't Do It

**I Can't Do It**

**District 6 and 7 Prep**

* * *

**D6: Sparrow Starr**

My prep team was very talented; they could talk to each other and smear me with goo at the same time.

They started off by plastering my body with foul smelling cream then washing it off, removing every unwanted piece of hair from my body. Then the man with rich brown hair and feathery eyebrows over purple eyes washed my hair with rose scented shampoo and coated it with another liquid with a nutty odor. The woman with spiky, bright red hair and bright blue eyes plucked my eyebrows then started loofa-ing my body.

The other prep woman, with thin, wispy hair the colour of the clouds and light green eyes was standing, talking to a man in leopard print leggings with small leopard ears poking out of his short, brown hair.

When they had finished torturing me with scents and gunk, they started with my hair and makeup. I closed my eyes while the woman with clouds for hair, whose name is Eternity, dusted them with powders. Rosa, the woman with red hair, cut, filed, buffed and painted my toenails then did the same to my finger nails. Porter, the man with the purple eyes, fought with my hair.

At last they retreated, I was glad to see them go. They were silly, trifle people with not much more than air between their ears.

"Hello Sparrow." Said a soft, warm, deep voice from the doorway. The leopard man walked into the room holding a garment bag. "I am Moray, your stylist. It is my job to make you unforgettable."

"Goody." I said flatly. Sadly Moray didn't catch the sarcasm and he beamed at me.

"Last year was a disaster so they have hired new stylists to do the District 6 tributes. That's you, honey." Moray said, patting my arm.

"Really?" I said, acting shocked. Moray looked concerned.

"Do you not understand why you are here?" He said frantically.

"No, I understand perfectly." I said quickly.

"Good, now, since my job is to make you unforgettable, I have to think out of the box. So I came up with this." Moray unzipped the garment bag with a flourish and I groaned.

* * *

**D6: Brantley Allen**

"Good evening Brantley. I am your stylist, Izzy." A tall, willowy woman with ink black hair and turquoise blue eyes. She held out her hand for me to shake.

"Hi," I said simply. Izzy looked me over.

"You are a very good looking boy. Tall too. I'm glad. The tribute I dressed last year was small and unattractive. I'm glad I got moved to District 6 this year."

"Thanks." I said. I was intimidated by this woman. I'm 6'2" and I feel short next to her.

"Me and my co-stylist have coordinated and we think that you and Sparrow should wear complimentary costumes, but not be all matchy-matchy." Izzy walked over to the garment bag she had with her and unzipped it.

Inside the garment bag was a suit made of shiny black material. The hems were all outlined with shiny white fabric and there was a red tie.

"Put it on!" Cheered Izzy. I took the suit and changed behind a screen that was placed in the room. The sleek fabric whispered against my skin as I slid the shirt on, then the pants, then the jacket. I walked out from behind the screen with my tie in one hand.

"Do you want some help with that?" Izzy asked.

"Yes please. I've always been hopeless with ties. I used to have my girlfriend—" I stopped; thinking about Sofie was too painful.

"Do you miss her?" Izzy asked softly.

"More than anything." I replied.

"Brantley! You need to come with me! It's time to head down to the chariot loading area!" Mike Reco, my mentor, said, poking his head into the prep room.

I nodded and followed after Mike. I turned back to Izzy, "Thanks for the nice outfit."

In the elevator down to the heart of the training center, Mike was talking on about scandals and what not, that were going on in the Capitol and among the mentors and tributes. In the elevator with us was the District 10 tribute boy and the District 10 male mentor.

"That girl, from District 10, the mentor, she won last year, what was her name? Oh that's right, Pippa. Well Pippa has apparently been sleeping around with a few of the male mentors." Mike chattered.

"Oh, bullshit. I know Pippa, and she would never sleep with someone. Especially not someone who wasn't Tristan." The District 10 mentor, Lee Fields, retorted.

The two mentors argued the rest of the way down in the elevator, thankfully it was a short trip. When we stepped out of the elevator, the first thing I noticed was the complete chaos of the area.

* * *

**D7: Santana Wolf**

I was standing, talking to the girl from District 6, when an idea hit me. Sparrow is very much like me, neither of us are unprepared for the Games. I volunteered even. We are both; smart, fast and quick-witted.

"Hey, Sparrow? Do you want to be allies?" I asked the blond District 6 girl. Sparrow looked surprised then nodded.

"Good," I said, sighing with relief. Sparrow smiled at me.

"I'm glad you asked me, I didn't think anyone would want to be allies with me."

My District partner, Ian, and Sparrow's District partner, walked over to where Sparrow and I stood.

"Hey girls." Brantley said, winking at me. Sparrow hit his arm and he rubbed it morosely.

"Hi," I said softly.

"So are you two allies?" Ian asked. I looked at Sparrow and she looked at me. We nodded at the same time.

"Cool, well good luck out there." Brantley said.

I leaned against the chariot and thought about what would be happening in District 7 right now. My mom and dad are in the Capitol right now but my grandmother would be at home getting ready to watch the Parade of Tributes. Tyler and his little sister would probably be sitting on their couch with their parents.

I unconsciously grabbed the wolf necklace Tyler gave me.

_Flashback_

_Tyler walked into the room and hugged me awkwardly._

"_Good luck Santana." He whispered in my ear. I smiled slightly and tears sprung to my eyes. I rarely ever cry so this was big for me._

"_Thanks." I replied. Tyler pressed something cold and metallic into my hand. He kissed my cheek quickly and ran out of the room._

_I looked down at my slightly closed hand and smiled. It was a silver wolf pendant on a silver chain._

"Santana, it's time to start getting ready." Said Jayde, my mentor. I closed my eyes and imagined the rustling of leaves in the wind and climbed onto the chariot.

* * *

**D7: Ian Detmer**

Santana had just climbed onto the chariot and I knew that I should follow her. I stepped into the basket of the chariot and winced as the wooden planks of the chariot groaned.

"I can't do it." I said and I jumped out of the chariot. Rick walked over to me and pushed me into the chariot.

"It's time to be in the chariot, kid." He said. I couldn't breathe, I could just imagine the chariot breaking and me being left behind, then trampled by the District 8 horses.

"Ian, what's wrong?" Santana asked me.

"It's nothing." I said, waving her off.

"It looks like you're going to pass out." Santana countered. I shook my head vigorously.

The first tributes had started going. The District 4 chariot was pulling out when black spots started forming in my vision. When District 5 entered the Avenue I was panting. By the time District 6 pulled out, it was all I could do to just hold on and stare in front of me.

The wheels creaked as the Chariot started moving and people started cheering and shouting my name mixed with Santana's. I couldn't react or acknowledge them in anyway but maybe it was for the better. Knowing the Capitol, they would assume that I was something special because I couldn't move. They are just so dense.

* * *

_**I'm getting tired of the lead up chapters so I decided to combine the Prep chapters into one big chapter. The next chapter will be the Chariot Rides. Then the training chapters!  
**_

_**Just so you know. You guys have to be the best readers EVER. After only 8 chapters, I have 91 reviews! That's amazing! I have a little contest for you. The 100th reviewer will get their choice of; a one-shot of anything they want, a capitol character that will be shown once or twice, OR a spot as assistant Gamemaker (you get to help me with some ideas for an arena chapter). Also! The best review I receive for this chapter will get a choice of the remaining two. And the funniest review I receive for this chapter will get, automatically, the last option left. Anonymous comments don't count, sorry.  
**_

_**I love you guys soooo much! I also need some options for what I should call my fans, then I will create a poll so you can choose your favorite of my favorites. The winner of that gets the satisfaction of knowing that they came up with my nickname for all of you!  
**_

_**Review with all of that stuff if you want the option of being a champion! :P  
**_

_**xoxo, Xylia  
**_


	10. Just Out Of Reach

_**I am soooo sorry that I totally neglected this story. I wasn't feeling very inspired at ALL but you can all thank my lovely friend Meghan for encouraging me to finish this chapter. :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Just Out of Reach**

**The Tribute Parade**

* * *

**Coralie Jaescope**

I sat down in a comfortable chair in front of a large, dark wood desk. The red light of the camera went on and I smiled at the proper camera.

"Welcome, citizens of Panem, to the Parade of Tributes. This will be our first glimpse of how the tributes react to being in the Hunger Games and how they might behave in the arena. Now, without further ado, the Capitol tributes; Skylark Frost and Zarkos Nightrod!"

The Capitol tributes were dressed like royalty. Skylark wore a royal purple dress with a low cut bodice. On her head was a golden crown with purple gems set into it. All of the males, and many of the females, in the crowd were going insane shouting her name and throwing flowers to her. She and Zarkos were holding hands and waving royally.

Zarkos was wearing a royal purple, velvet doublet with purple, velvet leggings. On his head was a crown with purple jewels. He looked faintly snooty, like he thought he was better than the other people from the Capitol.

"Next are the District 1 tributes; Whittier Lively and Luke Stone!"

The District 1 chariot came into view. Whittier was wearing a short, provocative silver dress. Her arms and legs were spray-painted a soft silver colour. She was blowing kisses to the crowd, exciting them. The crowd was going crazy, catching the kisses she blew and screaming her name.

Luke was wearing only tight, gold pants. His arms and torso were spray-painted gold. He was waving at the crowd but he didn't seem very into it.

"The District 2 tributes; Blossom Vessera and Urban Franco."

The District 2 tributes rolled out. Blossom wore a blood red toga with plates of dark overlapping metal for plates. Her torso was encased in perfectly fitted, dark metal. She gripped onto the rail of her chariot with one hand and waved to the crowd with the other.

Urban wore what looked to be the exact replica of a roman legionnaire's armor. Dark metal and chain links covered his muscular body. Red fabric underneath the metal peeked out slightly and complimented his red hair.

"The District 3 Chariot with Jemima Foster and Rys Harris."

The District 3 tributes came out in their chariot. Jemima and Rys wore matching outfits. Both sported jumpsuits that appeared to be made of electronic wires and other mechanical things. Some of the wires were covered with plates of red metal but some of the wires were exposed. On both of their heads were helmets that encased their heads entirely save for their eyes, and a strip for their mouths and noses.

Jemima was waving stiffly at the crowd but didn't seem too pleased about it. Rys wasn't keeping up any facades he didn't even acknowledge the crowd, he just stared ahead and seemed to not even blink.

"Next comes District 4; Umeko Satori and Tucker Rohansen."

Sadly this year the two District 4 stylists must not have been trying to coordinate. Umeko wore a white dress with sea blue ribbons trailing off of it imitating water. She held a wicked looking trident in her hand and practically oozed stiffness. She looked coolly ahead and didn't offer any reaction to the crowd screaming her name.

Tucker wore a Greek style tunic in sea blue and held a trident. The trident was really the only thing that tied the two District 4 tributes together. You could tell that they didn't really get along too well. Tucker stood in the chariot and smirked at the crowd.

"Here comes District 5's Jean Delancy and Thaddeus Hartwidge."

Jean and Thaddeus looked like streaks of white-blue light. They looked almost exactly like lightning. Even though it was hard to tell exactly what they were wearing, it seemed to be jumpsuits of white blue and capes that trailed behind them of the same colour.

Jean and Thaddeus were both smiling at the crowd. Jean was waving and Thaddeus was flexing his muscles. Women in the crowd were practically throwing themselves down onto the track to get to him.

"Now welcome, Sparrow Starr and Brantley Allen."

Sparrow wore tight white pants with navy blue pinstripes and a tight, white blouse. Perched on her head was a white hat with navy blue pinstripes. She looked like a train conductor from before the Disaster. She smiled and waved at the crowd but her other hand remained firmly clenched on the rail of her chariot.

Brantley was dressed in a shiny black suit and a red tie. On his head was a shiny black hat. He looked like my chauffeur. He waved the crowd and winked at some of the girls. He was smiling kindly.

"The District 7 tributes; Santana Wolf and Ian Detmer."

Santana sported brown leggings and a short, tight, leafy-textured green dress. On her head was a head dress woven out of leaves and branches. She smiled and waved but looked slightly self-conscious of her actions.

Ian wore tight, brown pants and a green, leafy-textured tunic top. On his head was a crown of woven branches and leaves. He was staring grimly ahead and gripping the bar of the chariot very tightly.

"The District 8 chariot with; Marianthe Calter and Rowan Rayon."

Marianthe wore a dress of diagonally striped, colourful, mixed fabrics. Her head was topped with a quilted head dress made of different fabrics. She appeared to be struggling with even just keeping her head up.

Rowan was dressed in a suit made of vertically striped, colourful, mixed fabrics. On his head was a head dress made of different fabrics all quilted. He waved at the crowd but didn't seem to have any happiness in his face.

"District 9, your tributes; Arya Blackthorne and Jay Browning."

Arya wore a golden dress that reached her feet and held a sheath of wheat in her arms. She was blinking and looking around, slightly confused. But she stayed impervious to the crowd.

Jay was dressed in a golden suit and held a bushel of hay in his hand, his fingers knotted into the long stems of the grass. He sat down in the chariot and dangled his feet out the back.

"The District 10 tributes; Evolene Ata and Henry Heatwave."

Evolene was the mute girl who shocked everyone. She wore a cowgirl outfit, complete with chaps and leather fringes, and was grinning and waving at the crowd. She had let go of the railings with both hands and was waving whole-heartedly.

Henry was wearing leather pants and a denim jacket. He was waving at the crowd boredly, almost like he would rather be somewhere else.

"District 11's tributes; Storm Ocean Star and Riven Breen."

Storm was dressed in a light green dress the bubbled around her body and made her look like a tree. She had little red circles on her dress to represent apples. She was smiling and waving at the crowd, her entire ballooned dress moving with her actions. One boy in the crowd threw a flower for her.

Riven was wearing denim overalls, a woven basket was in his arms, filled with apples. He was waving and smiling at the crowd as his chariot was pulled over the ground.

"District 12; Gwendolyn Porter and Mercutio Havoc."

Gwendolyn was wearing a short, jet black dress that shimmered slightly. She had coal dust smeared across her cheeks and fingers of flame licking up her arms and legs. Trailing behind her was a dark grey cape that looked like smoke. She was smiling and waving at the crowd. She even blew a few kisses.

Mercutio wore a jet black jumpsuit with fingers of fire covering his arms. He also had coal dust smeared on his face. His cape was whipping behind him as the horses trotted along the Avenue of the Tributes. Suddenly, Mercutio jumped off the back of the chariot and began running alongside the horses. He moved faster and faster until he was soon pulling up even with the District 10 horses. Everyone in the stands was pointing at him and cheering him on. His District partner was laughing at him and cheering.

"Finally, the District 13 tributes; Amanda Faith and Marcel Trace."

The District 13 tributes wore complete suits made of a shiny, silver material. They wore giant plastic helmets and every inch of them was covered. Their hands were encased in gloves and on their feet were horrible slipper-like things.

Amanda was staring straight ahead, not glancing over to the sides even in the slightest. On the other hand, her District partner was waving at the crowd and attempting to get some attention onto himself. Which was difficult because Mercutio was still racing the chariot horses.

"And that's all folks. Now turn your attention to President Pritchard for a few words to our tributes." I announced finally. It was over now. Thankfully.

"Tributes, citizens of Panem, this will be an astounding year for the Hunger Games. The Capitol has sent in children for the first time, along with District 13. And the Games are assured to be the best ever." President Pritchard said, smiling at the tributes below her in the chariots. "I'm sure you will be wanting to get back to your apartments now so I will just say this, Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor."

* * *

_**C'est finit! Thank goodness. This is a really tedious chapter to write, just like the interviews... :(**_

_**Anyways! I'm back, did you miss me? I missed all of you! So the winners of the review contest are...**_

_** Funniest review; Fuzzycat901, my fellow Canadian, you guys should read her SYOT's I had/have tributes in two of them and they are amazing! She got to make a Capitol character for the story who will appear occasionally.**_

_**Best review; Chaos In Her Wake, always the best reviews for both of my stories so far, they are helpful, encouraging and funny :) you should also read her stories, amazing stuff right there. She will be my Assistant Gamemaker for a chapter of her choosing.**_

_**100TH REVIEWER! Freedom Is Paradise, he hasn't actually finished any of his SYOT's but you should go and review them and tell him to do more chapters. He chose a one-shot with Luke Stone from District 1, it will be up shortly. :)**_

_**Well that's it guys, remember to review what you thought about the parade, your tributes, costumes or anything really... **_

_**I love you all!**_

_**-xoxo, Xylia**_


	11. Kill List

**Kill List**

**Training; Day 1**

* * *

**D1: Whittier Lively**

I had already begun making a mental kill list.

When I had gotten to the training center, the male tribute from District 7 had been working with the axes and the girl from 6 had been at the throwing knives so I was stuck with practicing with spears, which I hate.

Umeko, the District 4 girl had tried to take over the Careers before I could even begin them but I managed to wrestle control from her.

Luke, My own District partner had declined my offer to be part of the Careers but the pathetic, weak girl from District 2 had insisted on joining.

And because of that we were down to only 5 Careers, but none of them were very strong, so I'd had to begin thinking about any other options for Career tributes.

So pretty much, I was already having a bad day.

"Get out of my way, freak." I spat when the District 3 boy bumped into me.

"Sorry." He muttered and ducked his head. That's when I noticed what was in his hands. Wires and metal plates were intertwined in a complicated fashion but my eyes were drawn to the red wire that connected to a small button.

"Wait." I commanded. "What does that button do?"

"Uh, it sets off a small initial explosion, then a few minutes after it sets off a huge explosion." He said hesitantly.

"What's your name, 3?" I asked.

"Rys, Rys Harris." He said, holding his hand out for me to shake. I scrunched my nose and glared at his hand until he dropped it back down to his side.

"I'm Whittier Lively." I replied.

"I know." Rys said quietly.

"I think that the Careers could really use someone with your," I trailed off, searching for the right word, "talent."

"You really think so?" Rys said hopefully.

I nodded, "Definitely."

Then I walked away. I wasn't kidding when I suggested it; Rys was smart and definitely capable of doing something good for the group.

I looked around the room for other prospective Careers; the District 12 tributes had teamed up already, the District 6 and 7 girls formed an alliance, the pair from District 5 were helping each other over at the archery area. So many alliances were already forming and it was still the morning of the first day of training.

The Capitol girl was at the hand-to-hand combat station. She had metal claws on her fingers and was doing serious damage to a training dummy. I thought about it, the odds of this girl getting a lot of sponsors were 100%. I walked over to her.

"Hey, that was really impressive." I said to the girl.

"Oh, thanks." She replied looking at the carnage.

"What are those?" I asked, pointing to her hands.

"They're called tiger claws." The girl answered.

"Cool, well I'm Whittier." I said, smiling at her.

"I'm Skylark, but most people call me Sky." She introduced herself.

"You should come meet my allies, I'm sure they'll like you, maybe you can even join with us." I offered to Skylark. She nodded and followed me.

We walked over to the other Careers and I grabbed Rys on the way and pulled him and Skylark over to where Urban, Umeko, Blossom and Tucker were standing.

"Guys, this is Skylark," I pointed to the Capitol girl, "and this is Rys." I pointed the District 3 boy.

"Hi, I'm Tucker and this is my District partner Umeko." Tucker gestured to himself then Umeko, smiling at Skylark.

"And I'm Blossom and this is Urban." Blossom introduced herself and her District partner to the new recruits.

"So what kinds of talents do you two have?" Urban asked.

"Well, I'm smart and good with traps and explosives." Rys said hesitantly.

"I am fast and agile, I guess. And I can use throwing knives and tiger claws." Skylark offered.

"Whit, could I speak with you for a moment?" Umeko asked, then, without waiting for a response, she dragged me away from the group slightly.

"What is it?" I demanded, irritated.

"I don't think that letting in either of those underdogs would be a wise choice." Umeko stated. I crossed my arms and huffed.

"Too late." I retorted and spun around. "Welcome to the Careers." I announced to Rys and Skylark. They both looked pleased and Blossom, Urban and Tucker didn't seem to mind my decision. As Umeko stalked past me I could tell that it was going to be a long couple of weeks until she died and I got out of the arena.

* * *

**D13: Amanda Faith (from now on is only Faith)**

I leapt over a fallen tree and ducked under the swinging branches of another tree. I ran towards the red post that signified the end of the course.

"58 seconds, not too bad." The trainer at the speed and agility section commented. I sighed and walked away without saying anything. I haven't been a big fan of talking since 'the incident' and coming to the Capitol made it worse.

I walked around the ginormous room and tried to decide where to go to next.

"I'd suggest the edible plants station." A voice said from behind me. I whipped around and was staring directly into a pair of grey eyes. "Hi, I'm Gwen, from District 12, and this is Mercutio."

"I'm Faith." I said quietly.

"We saw you at the long range weapons station, you are great with throwing knives." Mercutio added.

"Thanks." I muttered, my eyes darting around the room, looking for an escape from this conversation.

"Do you maybe want to eat lunch with us?" Gwen asked when the lunch bell rang. I shrugged but figured it was better than eating alone.

I filled my plate with the most nutritious food I could find on the table. I knew that I needed to keep in shape and not over eat, even if the chocolate cake looked really delicious.

"Faith, we're over here." Gwen called over to me. I walked over to the table that she was sitting at with Mercutio.

They seemed like nice people, they were trustworthy enough too. I felt like I might even be able to be in an alliance with them if they asked me to.

"So, what's District 13 like?" Mercutio asked me. I looked up at him.

"Boring and bland. That's about it." I told him honestly.

"It's got to be better than District 12. Starvation from the comfort of your own shack." Mercutio said with a bit of a smirk. I raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything.

I looked around the room to see that the leader of the Careers was glaring at me. I could resist it. I smirked at her and lifted my hand in a mock wave. Let her chew on that one for a while.

* * *

**D8: Rowan Rayon**

I finished my lunch quickly, head bowed down over my bowl. I didn't want anyone to take notice of me. I'm not exactly the smallest tribute here. I'm not the smallest boy either. Honestly I just want to blend in and pass by unnoticed. That's the best way for me to go through the games I think.

I gave my plate to an avox and walked back into the training room. I walked over to the fire building station and got to work. Since you never know what you might face in the arena, it's always safe to learn a little bit of everything.

An instructor came over to me and handed me a flint.

"Start with this; if you can do this properly then I can help you move on to other forms of starting fires." The man told me. His dark hair was cropped short to his scalp and his brown eyes were steely. Most of the trainers here had the same eyes, steely, harsh and unwelcoming. There were a few kind ones but they were rare.

I took the offered flint and set to work on starting a fire. I gathered a pile of twigs and dried leaves and set them up with the leaves sitting under a pyramid of twigs. I struck the flint but nothing happened. I adjusted my hands and tried it again. This time a spark leapt out and danced across the dried leaves. A small flame licked at the twigs and soon they were on fire. I added a few bigger logs and watched as everything went up in flames.

"Good job." The instructor said, admiring the fire in front of me. He took the flint from my hands and tossed me two sticks. "Try these now."

After I'd learned to make fires with almost anything, I decided to move on to another station.

I walked over to the trapping station and began picking at a few pieces of rope. I knew how to knot well enough from sewing back at home. I made a noose like loop out of a length of rope and attempted to set it up as a trap.

I tested it out, using a long stick to spring the trap. Nothing happened. I groaned and ran a hand through my strawberry blonde hair. A small chorus of laughter echoed across the small station. I looked around but the only two people here were an instructor and the District 3 girl, both looked solemn.

I turned around but I couldn't see anyone near enough that I would hear them.

I was going to investigate further but a bell clanged and the tributes cleared out of the training center gratefully alone, in pairs or in the case of the careers, a huge group.

I walked towards the elevators alone and began the slow ascent to the eighth floor and my warm, welcoming bed.

* * *

_**I am terrible and neglectful. I'm so sorry guys! But I have a new chapter for you now.**_

_**I hope you guys haven't given up on this yet, even though it's be practically forever!**_

_**Well...**_

_**Leave some comments, I love comments. And you should favourite/follow this if you haven't already!**_

_**Until next time.**_

_**xoxo, **__**Xylia**_


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